Tuesday, November 23, 2010

The Testing Function of Schooling Often Squeezes out Education.

Schooling is not equal to Education

The principles of most subjects including the real though subjects; physics, chemistry, accounting, statistics etc. are quite simple but people do not learn them well due to the need to make the subjects rigorous.

It is amazing what simple, practical, useful information typical college graduates do not know.

Why when people discuss schooling and how we need to better educate the population, do they seldom ask or say "what it is that people do not know or cannot do that would benefit them so greatly in life", but rather they make statements like "We need more college grads" or "Our students do less well in international comparisons". It seems we never ask "What is the most efficient way to get valuable knowledge and skills to people. I think it is because think that getting the knowledge and skills to people without credentials is a waste.

If schools exist to educate why do they do so much testing. Worse they seem very willing to blab the results of all their testing to other organizations.

Education is free but credentials are rather expensive. You can listen to MIT and Harvard lectures free on-line and you could always go an listen to some classes for free.

My grand parents went to 1 year of school each, yet they ran a successful barber shop and they seemed more educated than many college grads I know.

I know college grads who refuse to believe that 100 mpg carburetors do not exist. That despite my attempts to explaining the Carnot limit to them. On the other hand my grand parents could easily understand such things.